Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यावदब्दसहस्रेण निराहारेण वै फलम् । त्यजता प्राप्तमाहारं लब्धं ते क्षणमात्रतः

Transliteration

yāvadabdasahasreṇa nirāhāreṇa vai phalam | tyajatā prāptamāhāraṃ labdhaṃ te kṣaṇamātrataḥ

Translation

ആയിരം വർഷം നിരാഹാരമായി ഇരുന്നതാൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഫലം ഏതോ, ലഭിച്ച ആഹാരം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചതാൽ അതേ ഫലം നിനക്കു ക്ഷണമാത്രത്തിൽ ലഭിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• यावत्: as much as / as long as
• यावत्: Kāla/Parimāṇa (Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb: 'as much/as long as')

• अब्दसहस्रेण: by/with a thousand years
• अब्दसहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (अब्दानां सहस्रम्)

• निराहारेण: by fasting (without food)
• निराहारेण: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular); 'निराहार' = उपवास (fasting)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• त्यजता: by (one) abandoning
• त्यजता: Kartr̥/Agent-instrumental (कर्ता-तृतीया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), परस्मैपदी; तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular), पुंलिङ्ग (masc.)

• प्राप्तम्: obtained, attained
• प्राप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + आप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण

• आहारम्: food
• आहारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• लब्धम्: was obtained
• लब्धम्: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• ते: for you / of you
• ते: Sampradana/Relation (to you/for you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Gen./Dat.), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम

• क्षणमात्रतः: in just a moment
• क्षणमात्रतः: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) तद्धितान्त -तस्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (क्षणस्य मात्रम्) + तस्

Speaker

Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā declares a paradoxical equivalence: a thousand-year fast’s fruit gained in a moment by giving up food that had arrived; the Daitya is shown near food, hesitating, then withdrawing his hand.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner resolve and timely renunciation can yield the merit of long austerities; sincerity can compress spiritual ‘time’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse praises the power of renunciation as tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting/food-renunciation (nirāhāra, āhāra-tyāga) is referenced as an austerity, though without a formal vrata sequence.